Give Your Pets a Decent Name
by Rylolli
Summary: Madao and his dog.


**Give Your Pets a Decent Name**

It couldn't get any colder than this, he thought, as his warm breath reached his hands in an attempt to warm up his fingers. Looking at them, he held back a chuckle of despair, they were cold to the point he couldn't feel them anymore. His mother used to tell him if he didn't want his hands to be amputated, he had better keep them warm. Mother's logic had never made sense. He touched each of his fingertips, but he just couldn't feel them at all. It was like both his hands belonged to a doll.

A snowflake landed on his hand; it was about time to start snowing. The sky was covered in white clouds, not letting a single ray of sunlight come through. It was as if those clouds were ominously waiting for the ground to become like them. He knew that the clouds won't have to wait for too long for the soil to be covered with snow, which meant that soon the hardest struggle had yet to come.

I am not alone in this, he thought as his eyes met his dog's. As frozen as his hand might have felt, he never held himself back from stroking the poor fur that was supposed to shield it from the freezing wind. At these times, he hopelessly wished that it wasn't cold, and that he could ignore noticeable trembling and whimpering as the dog slumped beside him seeking for warmth.

Sitting in his cardboard box, he wondered why both of them were left behind by everybody, what did they do wrong. The dog understood him: what it meant to be an outcast and unwanted. They both knew what it felt to be treated like a disease, and that anyone wouldn't spare them a second glance without disgust. He wouldn't blame the passersby though; normal people shouldn't bother with anyone who eats repeatedly from the same trash can, something even a cat wouldn't do. For him though, that was a good reason to keep the dog with him; they were too similar to part ways.

He didn't know when it was when the dog became his only true company, it was the only living thing willing to touch him. It didn't take too much time for him to consider it as a friend. He told it about his childhood, his likes, dislikes, even his wife, Hatsu. Even though it hurt to bring back old memories, the dog didn't seem to mind at all. It sniffed around the box, slept and sometimes interrupted with a bark. Either the dog was a poor listener or it didn't understand his words and was simply unable to read his mood. The first option would make the dog seem rude, so he decided to go with the latter one, since the dogs were not supposed to understand humans anyway.

Cold days passed and both of them found a shelter now and then. When they did, Hasegawa would jump and pat its head happily, congratulating both of them for surviving the night, and when they didn't, he fell into silence. The way his eyes cast down in desperation and the lack of warms hands smoothing its fur made the dog aware of what would happen next, and thus it tended to whimper more. He'd sit on fetal position and caress its fur now and then, but neither of them warmed up enough to believe they'd survive the night.

On those cold nights he could hear his pet whimper, a voice full of lament and, as time passed, it sounded fainter. He would turn on his radio and pretend not to hear his pet's whimpering.

On one of those nights, it became silent. He turned off his radio and stared as snow landed on the white ground slowly, it was a beautiful night.

He woke up hearing pained footsteps. "Oi. I have ramen coupons for two, wanna join?"

Hasegawa lifted up his face when he heard Gintoki's voice, he couldn't decide whether this man was a life saviour or a foe. He couldn't say either if he was happy to meet him again.

Both of them moved to an open ramen stand, few steps away and and Hasegawa never felt this filled with only the sight of a big bowl of ramen set before him. The steam of the food warming his face was enough for him to compare this feeling with heaven. Hasegawa set his sunglasses on the table, so he could see the delicious food clearly in front of him.

He didn't hold back. He filled his mouth with noodles, ignoring the burning feeling in his mouth while Gintoki took his time blowing on his noodles to cool them.

"What happened to your dog?"

A simple question, but one that made his stomach twist and churn. He didn't remember when he picked the dog up, or was it the dog that had picked him up. He had no name for his pet and he couldn't put into words how much its company did for him, while he couldn't do a damn thing in return. Hasegawa had been told that he was a useless prick, but he never experienced it more than now.

"She found another owner who could take better care of her than I.", he replied food in his mouth, but Gintoki noticed water drops falling on his food.

"Oi, there's something falling on your food." Gintoki pointed out.

"All this steam is making my face sweat." Hasegawa wiped his eyes and forehead with his sleeve.

"That's disgusting.."

* * *

A/N: Here is my submission for Madao writing challenge on Yorozuya Soul. Thanks to **Yell the Punmeister **and** Dragorine** for beta-ing and happy birthday Madao!


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